Cap including a replaceable brim

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure is directed to a hat. The hat can include a cover portion configured to cover at least a portion of a user&#39;s head and a brim portion, the brim portion includes a proximal area and a distal area, the proximal area configured to be nearer the cover portion than the distal area, wherein the proximal area includes a strap that is operably attached to the proximal area, wherein the strap extends a distance beyond a left side of the proximal region and a right side of the proximal region forming a left strap extension and a right strap extension, and wherein an end of each of the left strap extension and the right strap extension includes an attachment means that is configured to attach to the cover portion.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/386,663, filed Dec. 7, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Known hats and caps typically include a cover portion that covers at least a portion of a user's head as well as a bill portion that extends a distance away from the cover portion. The bill portion is typically permanently fixed to the cover portion during manufacture and cannot be modified by the user without significant structural modifications.

What is desired is a hat that includes a bill portion that can be removed and replaced by another bill portion with relative ease and without significant structural modifications to either the bill portion or the cover portion.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide apparatus and methods that address the above and other issues.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure is directed to a hat. The hat can include a cover portion configured to cover at least a portion of a user's head and a brim portion, the brim portion comprising a proximal area and a distal area, the proximal area configured to be nearer the cover portion than the distal area, wherein the proximal area comprises a strap that is operably attached to the proximal area, wherein the strap extends a distance beyond a left side of the proximal region and a right side of the proximal region forming a left strap extension and a right strap extension, and wherein an end of each of the left strap extension and the right strap extension comprises an attachment means that is configured to attach to the cover portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will be better understood by reference to the following drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cap of one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is top view of a brim portion of the cap of one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a view of an interior of a cap of one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cap of a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

In the discussion and claims herein, the term “about” indicates that the value listed may be somewhat altered, as long as the alteration does not result in nonconformance of the process or structure to the illustrated embodiment. For example, for some elements the term “about” can refer to a variation of ±0.1%, for other elements, the term “about” can refer to a variation of ±1% or ±10%, or any point therein.

As used herein, the term “substantially”, or “substantial”, is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, a surface that is “substantially” flat would either completely flat, or so nearly flat that the effect would be the same as if it were completely flat.

As used herein terms such as “a”, “an” and “the” are not intended to refer to only a singular entity, but include the general class of which a specific example may be used for illustration.

As used herein, terms defined in the singular are intended to include those terms defined in the plural and vice versa.

Reference herein to any numerical range expressly includes each numerical value (including fractional numbers and whole numbers) encompassed by that range. To illustrate, reference herein to a range of “at least 50” or “at least about 50” includes whole numbers of 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, etc., and fractional numbers 50.1, 50.2 50.3, 50.4, 50.5, 50.6, 50.7, 50.8, 50.9, etc. In a further illustration, reference herein to a range of “less than 50” or “less than about 50” includes whole numbers 49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, etc., and fractional numbers 49.9, 49.8, 49.7, 49.6, 49.5, 49.4, 49.3, 49.2, 49.1, 49.0, etc. In yet another illustration, reference herein to a range of from “5 to 10” includes whole numbers of 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, and fractional numbers 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 5.9, etc.

As used herein, the term “hat” or “cap” refers to any type of headgear, including, but not limited to, caps, hats, and visors. For explanatory purposes, the disclosure will be explained using the term “cap” herein, but is not limited to particular type.

One view the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 1. Cap 1 is shown as a baseball type hat, but can be any suitable type of headgear. The cap 1 includes a cover portion 2 and a brim portion 4. The cover portion 2 is configured to cover at least a portion of a user's head, and in this embodiment, is configured to cover the upper portion of the user's head. A section of a strap 6 is also illustrated in FIG. 1, and will be further described in the following figures.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 the cover portion 2 and the brim portion 4 are shown as operably attached to each other by the strap 6, with the brim portion 4 configured to be removed from the cover portion 2 and replaced by another suitable brim portion. In this embodiment brim portion 4 includes a substantially rigid inner core that retain a shape, such as a plastic or a cellulose based product, or combinations thereof.

The brim portion 4 includes a proximal area 8 and a distal area 10, with the proximal area 8 referring to the area of the brim portion 4 nearer to the cover portion 2 than the distal area 10 is.

A more detailed view of the brim portion 4 is shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a top view of the brim portion 4 including strap 6. The strap 6 can be formed of any suitable material, including any suitable fabric and any suitable elastic material. The strap 6 extends a distance beyond a left side 12 of the proximal region 8 and a right side 14 of the proximal region 8.

Strap 6 is operably attached to the proximal area 8. Strap 6 can be operably attached in any suitable way, such as by an adhesive between the strap 6 and the proximal area 8 or by sewing the strap 6 to the proximal area 8. The strap can be operably attached to the proximal area 8 the entire distance between the left side 12 and the right side 14, or in one or more locations between the left side 12 and the right side 14.

The strap 6 extends a distance beyond left side 12, forming a left strap extension 16, with the strap 6 extending a distance beyond the right side 14 forming a right strap extension 18. Between the left strap extension 16 and the right strap extension 18 is a central area 17 of the strap 6. In this embodiment left strap extension 16, right strap extension 18 and central area 17 of the strap 6 are shown as one piece of material, but in other embodiments these areas of strap 6 can be composed of two or more pieces of material.

In this embodiment the length of the left strap extension 16 is about 4 inches and the length of the right strap extension 18 is about 4 inches, but in others, they can be different distances from each other, either longer or shorter.

At an end of both the left strap extension 16 and the right strap extension 18 and attachment means 20 is included. In this embodiment attachment means 20 is an s-hook configuration, but in other embodiments, any suitable manner or means in which the left strap extension 16 or the right strap extension 18 is configured to attach to the cover portion 2. The attachment means 20 may be selected from the group consisting of teeth, hooks, buttons, loops, clamps, Velcro® (e.g., hook and loop), adhesive, and/or any other mechanical or chemical means for attaching the left strap extension 16 or the right strap extension 18 attach to the cover portion 2 as known in the art.

The view of brim portion 4 in FIG. 1 is that of an upper surface 22 of the brim portion 4. This upper surface 22 and a lower surface (not shown) can be covered in one or more pieces of fabric or any other suitable covering material such as a leather or suede. The central area 17 can be operably attached to this upper surface 22, or can be operably attached to the lower surface, and then covered with the one or more pieces of fabric.

The view of brim portion 4 in FIG. 3 is that of an under surface 23. FIG. 3 also illustrates right strap extension 18, left strap extension 16 and attachment means 20. The attachment means 20 on right strap extension 18 is not engaged with the cover portion 2, while attachment means 20 on left strap extension 16 is engaged with the cover portion 2. Specifically, attachment means 20 engages with an inner flap 24 of cover portion 2. The inner flap 24 extends a distance away from a lower perimeter of the cover portion 2 and is operably attached to at least a portion of a lower perimeter.

In this embodiment the attachment means 20 includes a hook portion that can be placed between the inner flap 24 and the cover portion 2 to substantially maintain a connection between the brim portion 4 and the cover portion 2. In other embodiments attachment means 20 can include any structure that is configured to engage with the inner flap 24 to substantially maintain a connection between the brim portion 4 and the cover portion 2. In other embodiments inner flap 24 can include slits, openings, snaps, zippers, adhesives, or any other suitable securing means that are configured to engaged with the attachment means 20.

A second embodiment is shown in FIG. 4. In this embodiment cap 101 includes a cover portion 102 and an affixed brim 104, with the affixed brim 104 being attached directly to the cover portion 102. This embodiment differs from the one above in that brim portion 105 is formed of a material configured to substantially cover an upper surface and lower surface of affixed brim 104 in a sleeve-like fashion.

The brim portion 105 also includes a strap that extends from being secured to the brim portion 105 as a right strap extension 118 and a left strap extension 116. The strap is formed of any suitable material as discussed above and the strap itself can be secured to brim portion 105 in any suitable way as discussed above. Although not shown the strap includes attachment means on either side of left strap extension 116 and right strap extension 118, as in the first embodiment.

Inner flap (not shown) of cover portion 102 is configured to engage with the attachment means as discussed above in relation to FIG. 3.

The described embodiments and examples of the present disclosure are intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive, and are not intended to represent every embodiment or example of the present disclosure. While the fundamental novel features of the disclosure as applied to various specific embodiments thereof have been shown, described and pointed out, it will also be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the disclosure. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the disclosure may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. Further, various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure as set forth in the following claims both literally and in equivalents recognized in law. 

1. A cap comprising: a cover portion configured to cover at least a portion of a user's head; and a brim portion, the brim portion comprising a proximal area and a distal area, the proximal area configured to be nearer the cover portion than the distal area, wherein the proximal area comprises a strap that is operably attached to the proximal area, wherein the strap extends a distance beyond a left side of the proximal region and a right side of the proximal region forming a left strap extension and a right strap extension, and wherein an end of each of the left strap extension and the right strap extension comprises an attachment means that is configured to attach to the cover portion.
 2. The cap of claim 1, wherein the strap is elastic.
 3. The cap of claim 1, wherein the attachment means are s-hooks.
 4. The cap of claim 1, wherein the left strap extension and the right strap extension are about four inches in length.
 5. The cap of claim 1, wherein the strap is operably attached to the proximal area by an adhesive.
 6. The cap of claim 1, wherein the strap is operably attached to the proximal area by being sewn to the proximal area.
 7. The cap of claim 1, wherein a fabric covers an upper surface of the brim portion, a lower surface of the brim portion and a central area of the strap.
 8. The cap of claim 1, wherein the cap further comprises an affixed brim.
 9. The cap of claim 8, wherein the brim portion is configured to cover the affixed brim.
 10. The cap of claim 1, wherein the cover portion further comprises an inner flap that the attachment means are configured to engage with. 